This invention relates to a framing material for the finishing of portal openings in building structures, such as that used for window and sliding door frames and the like, and particularly to a new and novel clamping structure and method based thereon for fabricating a compound portal frame profile comprised of two separate lineal portal frame profile extrusion components wherein one such component is for the interiorly outward facing member and the other for the exteriorly outward facing member and further wherein the respective members may be of different colors for facilitated color harmony coordination with the planned or existing interior and exterior building structure color schemes, or different materials of composition for design coordination and optimum weathering features, or a combination thereof for multiple design and economy advantages, said components being joined one to the other by means of a resin-bonded structural interlock connection which forms a thermal cavity barrier to substantially reduce differential heat transfer across the finished compound portal frame extrusion profile member from the building structure conditioned interior ambient atmosphere to the building structure natural exterior ambient atmosphere.
Various compound portal frame profile structures are known in the prior art, such as that shown in FIG. 1 and as more particularly taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,204,324 to Nilsen dated Sept. 7, 1965, wherein a single profile member 10 which is of the same material composition throughout and initially of the same color, is provided with a trough 12 adapted to receive a resin-bonding insulating material 14, afterwhich profile material 16 is removed by milling or otherwise from the trough bottom sidewall surface 18 as indicated to provide a downward disposed non-conductive thermal void 20 cooperative with the upward disposed previously extruded thermal void 22, thus forming a compound portal frame extrusion profile 10' comprised of an interiorly outward facing member 24 and an exteriorly outward facing member 26 both of the same color and material of composition being structurally joined one to the other by the resin-bonding insulating material 14. If it is desired to make the members 24 and 26 different colors, it then becomes necessary to perform separate and additional painting operations.
A true structurally interlock connected dissimilar material compound portal frame extrusion profile 28 is also known in the prior art, as more particularly taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,869 to Nipp dated Mar. 26, 1974, and as is illustrated in FIG. 2, wherein a first lineal portal frame profile extrusion component 30 which is a metal alloy material of a particular color provides the interiorly outward facing member of the compound portal frame extrusion profile 28, and a second lineal portal frame profile extrusion component 32 which is a plastic material of another color provides the exteriorly outward facing member of the compound portal frame extrusion profile 28, the two being assembled one to the other in lineally aligned interim connection by means of plastic component snap-lock protrusions 34 resilient engagement within metal alloy component recesses 36, thereby forming an enclosed thermal-gap void which is thereafter filled through sidewall opening 38 with a resin-bonding insulating material 14. It will be noted, however, that by use of a plastic extrusion component 32 it also becomes necessary to provide a second metal alloy facing member 40 in combination therewith, as shown in FIG. 2, in order to enhance the structural character thereof.
Another prior art practice which provides an interlock connected dissimilar material compound portal frame extrusion profile 42 is as shown in FIG. 3, wherein a first and second separate lineal portal frame profile extrusion component 44 and 46 respectively the interiorly and exteriorly facing members thereof, are joined one to the other by snap-lock engagement with a plastic extrusion profile 48. It is to be noted, however, that this particular snap-lock engagement profile does not per se provide a portal framing material of true structural rigidity.
With the increased trend to pre-manufactured structures, for everything from domestic to commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings, and with the evolution of pre-manufactured structures which incorporate design features to enhance appearance while at the same time holding the line on costs, there is in turn a growing market and need for economically produced structurally interlock connected dissimilar material compound portal frame extrusion profiles with the incorporated thermal cavity feature to substantially eliminate differential heat transfer between the interiorly outward facing and the exteriorly outward facing joined portal frame extrusion profile component members. In addition to the pre-manufactured structural application, there is also the retrofit application for replacement portal frames in older building structures, as well as also application in new building structure construction.
The FIG. 4 illustration shows a cross-sectional view of the instant invention compound portal frame extrusion profile 50, which meets the existing and evolving needs of the application markets therefor as above-recited, while at the same time enabling high rates of production with minimum waste and employing a fabrication method which enhances production economies, all as hereinafter are more particularly described in detail.